He said to Him, “Yes Lord, You know that I love You.” (John 21:15b)
There, on the beach by the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus goes to probe Peter’s heart. He asks Peter about his love for Him.
Because of his sins, Peter had strayed far from Jesus. Now, at this moment, Jesus is going to lead him back.
“Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?”
Full of conviction he says, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.”
Jesus says to him, “Feed my lambs.”
Then the question sounds for the second time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Again Peter answers, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”
“Tend My sheep”, answers Jesus.
Then Jesus asks for the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”
Peter is grieved because Jesus asks him this question for the third time.
He says, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus says to him, “Feed My sheep.”
Years earlier, when Peter left his fishing nets to follow Jesus, He said to him, “Follow Me and I will make you a fisher of men.” Now Peter is commissioned to lead the lambs and sheep of Jesus’ flock into the grassy pastures of the gospel.